Ore separator



June 10 1924. 1,497,176

'- E. JAMES om: SEPARATOR Filed March 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'INVENTOR.

BY ATTORNEYS.

June 10 1924. 1,497,176

E. JAMES ORE SEPARATOR Filed March 14, 1925 2 Sk \ee-1s-$hee t 2 vk m jlm I, I R 3 a III HI lu |M I W1 I a: II m \mm, m l lllll ||l u n 3 gm oo H. o

Patented June 10, 1924a UNITED ELMER JAMES, or raovo, UTAH.

ORE SEPARATOR.

"' l l Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,964.

T 0 (IE whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER JAMES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Provo, in the county of Utah and State of Utah, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore Separators, of whichthe following is a specification.

-My invention relates to mining machincry, and has for its object toprovide an economical ore separator, whereby the valuable minerals maybe separated from the gangue, whether such mineral be of such lightspecific gravity as to float on or in water, or whether it be'of greaterspecific gravity and will sink in water.

A further object is to separate the lighter from the heavier minerals inorder that the lighter minerals may be subsequently treated by oneprocess, and the heavier minerals may be subsequently treated by otherprocesses.

These objects I accomplish with the machine illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which similar letters and numerals ofreference indicate like parts throughout the several views, and asdescribed in the specification forming a part of this application andpointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown a substantial embodiment of myinvention Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, parts cut awayand parts in section. Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinalsection of the junction point between the two cylinders. Figure 3 is anend elevation of the' junction end of the first cylinder. Figure 4 is aplan view of the machine. Figure 5 is alongitudinal diametrical' sectionof the gangue discharge end of the machine, some of the dischargeopenings shown in dotted lines. Figure dis "a transverse verticalsection on line 66 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section on line 7-7 of Figure 4looking in thedirection of the arrows. I

In separating the valuable minerals from the gangue in which they arefound it is frequently ascertained that some of the valuable mineralsare coated with oil and other substances which will cause them to floatin water or on the surface thereof, while other portions of the valuableminerals in the same oreare not so coated and may be caught bymechanical concentration; The

present invention is intended for use in and under such conditionswhereby the ore, suitably crushed to release the. minerals from thegangue, is driven through two co-acting cylinders by a flow of water andwhile passng through said cylinders the crushed ore is agitated bymechanical and hydraulic means, and thereby the coated minerals arefloated out at one end of the cylinders and are there caught, while theuncoated minerals are carried out at the opposite end of said cylindersand caught, and the gangue allowed to pass out at the endfirst'mentioned where the coated minerals are caught. I thus utilizethree well-known principles of separating minerals from'gangue; namely,hydraulic washing and agitation, flotation and concentration, in onemachine, thereby economizing intime, space in which to operate andmachinery required to save the values.

Referring to the drawings: An angle iron supporting frame is providedcomprising uprights 1 and longitudinal beams 2 and 3, and cross beams 4and 5. Two' coacting cylinders A. and B are mounted within said frameand they are connected by a universal joint in order that one endof thecylinder A maybe 'movedvertically up and down without disconnecting theopposite end from the cylinder BL To make said adjustment the saidcylinder A is supported within the main frame by a supporting rackconsisting of the longitudinal'beams 6 and cross ties 7 and thesuspending arms 8" at one end, with the Ushaped loop 9 at the oppositeend. The legs of the said loop 9 .are pivoted to the beams 6, and saidloop is suspended from thecross-head 10 by the threaded rod 11 which isfastened to the upper end of said loop 9. An internally threaded handwheel 12 whose threads mesh with the thread's of said rod 11 is themeans I use to raise and lower the. front end of said cylinder A. Therear end of said supporting rackis carried on pins 13 which are securedin the uprights 1 adjacent the meeting ends of the cylinders by the saidsupporting arms Sengaging with said pins 13. The said cylinders A and'Brest on-the wheels 14 and 15"r especti'vely-with their respective shafts16 and 17. Power to rotate said cylinders is applied through thesprocket gear 18 which 1s secured onsaid cylinder B and any ower'may besupplied threugh a sprocket chain, not shown, to drive said sprocketgear 18. I provide a screw feed which enters the cylinder A at raised orfront end thereof, and which consists of the commonly used worm screw 19within the tube 20 with a power driven gear 21, by which said screw 19is rotated. The said screw feed terminates about eighteen inches fromthe rear end of said cylinder A, and the ore is dumped out of the feedat that point, and that is where the separation commences. A- spray pipe22 enters the raised and front end of said cylinder A and is perforatedthroughout its length with small openings through which water issupplied to spray the interior of said cylinder A and supply the waterwithin both cylinders and by which the ore is moved and separation iseffected. On the lower and meeting end of said cylinder A. an inwardlyturned flange 28 is provided having a projecting tube 24 integrallyformed thereon. The meeting end of the cylinder B has an annularend orclosing plate 25 the opening therein coinciding with the tube 24, inorder that said tube may be passed partially through and operate withinsaid closure plate 25. Adjacent and parallel with said closureplate 25,an annular battle ring or band 26 is fastened in said cylinder B. Anannular closure plate or inwardly turned flange 27 partially closes therear end of the cylinder B, and a thimble 28 is secured in said plate,through which the floating mineral particles are carried by a flow ofwater. Near the rear end of said cylinder B the discharge or egressopenings 29 are cut in the wall of said cylinder, and a U- shaped yokeor seal 30 is carried around the end portion of said cylinder to close aportion of said discharge openings 29, and leave the others open. Thelower arms of said yoke or seal 30 terminate below the water level inthe cylinder in order that any discharge through the openings 29 mustbeffrom those openings which are under the water, thereby allowing allfloating particles of mineralto pass out with the water flowmg throughsaid thimble 28. The said yoke or seal 30' is suspended from an arm 81,which is fastened to the nearestcross beam The uniting mechanismconnecting the cylinders A and B consists of a trunnion sleeve 34,-having open slots 32 cut therein, inwhich is operated radial lugs ortrunnions 33 that are fastened tosaid cylinder A, and a similar pair ofextended trunnions 35 are secured on the meeting end portion of saidcylinder B." On the interior wall of said cylinder A are secured aplurality of spirally disposed rifiies at an angle counter to therotation of said cylinder. The height of the rifiles for the most of thelength of saidcylinder is less thanthe other portion, preferably l havefound that for reserve three-fourths of the length of the cylinderritiies extending radially inward one-fourth of an inch do' the bestwork, while for the other one-fourth, rifiles of the depth of one andone-fourth inches are best. The cylinder-B is also provided with spiralriiiies 41 which are given an angle in accord with the rotation of saidcylinder B, with the riflies having inward radial depth of one andone-half inches. One of the purposes of the riffles in cylinder A is tomove the concentrates toward the front or inlet end of that cylinder,while the ritfles' in the cyl inder B move the material to the dischargeopenings 29. Any tendency to form eddies in the flowof the water throughthe thiinble 28 by the gangue discharging through openings 29. will bebroken up by the portion of the thimble inside the cylinder B.

The operation of my machine is as follows I The crushed ore is pushedinto the cylinder A by the screw feed, and water under pressure isconducted'through the spray pipe 22. The rotation of both cylinders andthe flow of water will agitate the ore and move the gangue through thecylinders. The heavier particles of mineral will be caught in therittles 40 in cylinder A and be carried back up the incline of thatcylinder and dumped out of the same or front end of that cylinder. Therotation of the cylinders and spraying action of the water will tend toseparate the minerals from the gangue. The gangue and all light orcoated mineral particles will pass through the tube 24 into the cylinderB where the agitation is con tinued by the ritfies 4:1 and the rotationof that cylinder. The coated. light and floating mineral particles willbe carried in suspension in and on the water and will flow out throughthe thimble 28, while the gangue will pass out through the uncoveredopenings 29 and be carried away as waste. The rate at which the ore maybe treated is regulated by the tilt of the cylinder A which isaccomplished by turning the hand wheel 12.

Having thus described my invention T desire to secure by Letters Patentand claim 1. An ore separator comprising an inclined rotatable cylinder;a plurality of spiral rittles on the inner face of said cylinderinclined counter to the rotation of said cylinder; means to feed oreinto the lower portion of said cylinder; an annular band partiallyclosing the lower end of said cylinder; another cylinder operativelyconnected with and rotated by said first cylinder; a concentricallypositioned tube con necting said cylinders; a sealing yoke par tiallyclosing the discharge from said second cylinder; a spray pipe in thefirst mentioned cylinder to spray the interior thereof and means torotatesaid cylinders; and a yoke to close all of the gangue dischargeOpenings above the water level in the last or horizontal cylinder.

2. In a machine of the class described the combination of an adjustahlyinclined cylinder and a horizontally disposed cylinder operativelyconnected; means to feed ore into the incline cylinder near the junctionof said cylinder; a plurality of spirally disposed rifiies on the innerface of said cylinders; a spraying means in the first mentionedcylinder; annular gates partially closing both of said cylinders;tubular members in said-gates to form discharge chutes from saidcylinders, and openings in the Wall of the horizontally disposedcylinder for gangue discharge; means to rotate said cylinders; and ayoke to partially seal the discharge from the horizontal cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 30 signature,

ELMER JAMES.

